Video: Tomas Slavik's Winning Run on the World's Longest Urban Downhill Track

Feb 24, 2020
by James Smurthwaite  

With 1,500 steps separating the start and finish gates, the Red Bull Monserrate Cerro Abajo is a test of nerve and endurance. Watch Tomas Slavik's winning headcam from yesterday's race above.

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Member since Nov 14, 2018
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64 Comments
  • 41 1
 I can't imagine how physically hard this track is at full speed, but this track is a little meh. Other urban DHs can have tight alleys, actual urban environment, tight spots between buildings etc. This one should be called "stairs DH"
  • 5 1
 Agreed. Skip to 3:10 and save yourself half of the video.
  • 2 0
 Exactly
  • 1 0
 Boring as fck , you d pay me i would nt take part
  • 1 0
 I agree that it was not the best track. It lacks variety. However, they managed to get most of it by berms etc. They have world record of longest track - which btw stays in Colombia
  • 1 0
 or... Stair-o Abajo
  • 49 11
 He was one of only two on the day to not take this course on in heavy rain, this event was a joke. I am not really a fan of urban DH as it is but this course was never a good idea at this time of the year when it rains a lot.
  • 9 5
 Agreed, I dont mind urban downhill as a couple of one off events as it is fun to see the course setups but trying to make a competitive series out of it when stuff like this very easily happens is a mess.
  • 7 0
 Meh... third guy down had a pretty clean track too. And that's the way it is. Happens in WC DH all the time. Doesn't take away from the fact that he made it top to bottom pretty damned quickly on an enduro bike.
  • 1 0
 Minus the jumps, racing that in the rain would be basically the MTB equivalent to snow rally.
  • 2 1
 its impossible to compare Uk weather with colombian weather... Are you sure there's usually a lot of rain at this time of the year in colombia?
  • 4 1
 @redelephant75: I was pretty sure it rained a hell of lot when I was there for 3 months in 2018 and a month in 2019, both times between Dec and Apr and both times told by locals and friends that it gets pretty wet and rainy around the start of the year. Or did you think I looked out of the window here in London and just assumed the whole world was the same? You genius.
  • 2 0
 Last part of your comment is the funniest thing I’ve read all day lol. @Radley-Shreddington:
  • 27 0
 A finish area that opens out onto a main road with a guy stopping traffic only as he sees a rider...adds to the danger I guess...
  • 23 0
 I'll be honest......that doesnt look fun at all haha
  • 17 1
 I couldn’t agree more this was by far the worst Urban DH course I’ve ever seen.

RED BULL......u guys really dropped the ball on this one
  • 2 0
 @Don23: too many sets of long steps that just arent steep enough, lack of steep narrow streets and I noticed so many wasted natural wall rides
  • 20 0
 Test of endurance for riders and viewers.
  • 3 0
 I endured approximately 5 minutes. Of viewing.
  • 12 1
 The Grim Donut would chew that course up.
  • 15 0
 Would it though? Without a ride report we may never know....
  • 6 0
 Lucky with the weather... but big respect for riding down this many stairs with an injured hand! Live coverage was horrible as always on urban downhill events.
  • 1 2
 not to mention he is the only one with enduro bike & single crowned fork(if my memory serve me well)..
  • 1 0
 @mnurhaqiem: thats false, pretty sure Jhony Betancurth was on one as well, but yea still impresive
  • 1 0
 @mnurhaqiem: A few rode down on Enduro bikes, I am sure it was tough on a 180mm travel fork compared to a 200mm travel fork!!

Some rode down in the rain with single crown forks on, the guy who seeded 2nd from memory was on a SC, but it was so bad he had to avoid some of the features.
  • 4 1
 I liked the live coverage, watching some of the locals coming into corners in the wet sideways, was like watching motoGP bikes sliding. Props to the riders who came down in the rain, looked lethal.
  • 1 0
 I'd say live coverage was good. Shame that it started to rain so early. One thing I didn't like was Warner talked about other events even during Slavik's interview in English. I understand that this is must, but like that
  • 5 0
 I'm thinking, as he's handed an end-of-ride RedBull, that maybe a shmoke & a pancake would be more appropriate.
  • 1 0
 I'm more of a blinz guy myself.
  • 5 0
 I got armpump only from watching it.
  • 2 1
 Not sure why some complained, I think this was dope! Definitely a different type of Urban DH race, but still one that depends on rider endurance, line choice and commitment. Well deserved win for Mr. Slavik in a cool and unique format.
  • 1 0
 The weather this the wind that ,c’on it’s almost the same in any sport ,cause there are any out there more capable then him,cause he has lost a phew because of so many things like that and others more “strange “ ,there aren’t many riders like him and I say in many years maybe he is not the more know rider in some people eyes,but you ask anyone that really rides a bike an I tell you that they bounce their heads when they seem him
  • 1 0
 Wasn't there a riot happening one year at the bottom of that race track. I seem to remember head cam footage of a rider getting down to the road and it was all booting right off.
  • 2 0
 That's called a party.
  • 1 2
 Cocainesonehelluvadrug?
  • 1 0
 The lack of flow in this track (and video) was just deeply annoying. The slow corners made me want to throw the laptop out of the window Big Grin

Slow tech can be fun to watch, slow concrete is just heinous.
  • 5 0
 My eyes were chattering.
  • 1 0
 That is a lot of stairs, this does look like would be hard to see anything or feel anything from all jarring by the time get to the bottom?
  • 3 0
 i bet the image stabilization chip on the go pro got quite hot.
  • 1 0
 doesn't have the same feel that other urban DH events have, seems to lack something. still cool and id love to give it a crack!
  • 1 0
 I know these racers get to practice on the track, but to ask a serious question: does he live there/have home field advantage?
  • 1 0
 Jeez, all I could think of was which poor guys had to build that stair case in the first place and why???
  • 1 0
 Yes, talk about giving credit to "the trail builders" in this case every rock in the staircase laid by hand? Thats a lot of rocks!
  • 2 0
 Damned I cant imagine how bad your hands would hurt after going down that!
  • 2 0
 Do píči...that concludes whole race Big Grin
  • 1 0
 Only a few actually understood fitness factor from his reaction - and he's fit as hell
  • 1 0
 In other news, every rider is now being treated for carpal tunnel syndrome.
  • 1 0
 Wriggly tin roofs rushing passed at head height..... what could go wrong
  • 2 1
 A more challenging race would be who can run from bottom to the top.
  • 1 0
 Sounds like a terrible idea. Kind of like back in 2003 when I decided to race in this race.
mtashlandbike.com/?page_id=2
  • 1 0
 @scotttherider: hahaha, absolutely a terrible idea. I'm glad I have the strength, endurance, and stamina to do tough climbs, but I've never done a climb and said to myself "boy that was awesome." It's also defeating because you do so much work yet not really going anywhere.
  • 1 0
 What kind of tires do they run for this event?
  • 1 0
 2,8 tires over 2,3 tires over Huck Norris inserts over Schwalbe Procore inserts. Alloy rims.
  • 1 0
 I kept thinking how hard it would be to climb all those stairs
  • 1 0
 Now ride back up clever clogs.
  • 1 0
 Stairs Downhill is boring and pointless, especially this one. Full stop.
  • 1 0
 I only want stairs in a video if Fabio is jumping over all of them
  • 1 0
 I'm curious what kind of psi these guys are racing urban DH with
  • 2 0
 Pičo. Haha
  • 1 0
 I got arm pump just watching that.
  • 1 0
 What shit is this
  • 2 0
 yes
  • 1 0
 Sketchy?
  • 1 0
 Pissed down!







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